Grover Norquist is a best buddy of the current state Republican Chairman, Ron Nehring. They have worked together for many years.

It will be interesting to watch Mike Osborn (a Nehring/Norquist wannabe)come out supporting McCain also.

This whole budget just funds left wing big government causes. A vote no is a vote against the democratic party power base and those they shower with gifts at taxpayer expense.

The protesters are just shock troops for big trial lawyers and public employee unions that run this state.

Defund 'em.

A no vote at this point is for political grandstanding. The Republicans did not offer up a good budget alternative and now things are so polarized no budget solution appears to be in sight.

Our elected officials are accountable to all citizens in their district. They needs to get to work or get out of office and this goes for both Dems and Reps.

Support Prop 11 - Redistricting. It will help end incumbent protection and fiascos like the current budget crises.

Earth to Katie. Things have been polarized for a long time. Stop stating the obvious as if it is a surprise.

Your desire to reward the left through tax increases and big spending in this budget is what keeps the Democratic party with the tax funds to keep their crappy state leadership in the majority.

Defund the left.

"Defund the left" you are a typical lemming who rolls over and shows his neck and bellow and hopes the rich will drop a crumb on you. Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a tax increase so according to this total loser idiot Arnold is a left winger? Get a life loser!

Get off the government dole, parasite.

We're tired of funding your beer and smoking habit.

If this battle is between criminals and their allies versus teachers and their interests what does it say that days after Abramoff is sentenced to prison they are taking marching orders from his personal money launderer?

This isn't a conspiracy. McCain's own committee has proven it.

Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; similar to his father, doesn't see any human capital in children or old people.

Brian:

The headline for this thread focuses on last Friday's protest at Assemblymember Strickland's Office regarding the lack of action on the State's Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget. What does Obama's claim that Senator McCain failed to go after Ralph Reed got to do with this topic??

An pox on both the Democrats and Republicans in the State Legislature for failing to pass a State budget more than 75 days after the start of the fiscal year! The so-called political leadership in both parties should be ashamed of themselves.. I am.

While I agree with Einstein's observation that, "..if you think education is expensive, imagine the cost of ignorance," something is seriously wrong with the State's education system when more than half of all CA high-school graduates demonstrate a lack of proficiency in basic english and math. And to add insult to injury, this is after the State's spends about $60 Billion per year for all forms of education. If $60 Billion per year in State spending for education isn't enough, how much is??

Here's a possible starting point towards reasonable compromise on the State budget. How about keeping the two-thirds vote requirement for new taxes but lowering the budget passage requirement to a 55% super-majority of 45 votes in the Assembly, and 23 votes in the State Senate?

I'll be waiting with baited breadth to see if either Tony Strickland or HBJ step up to plate and offer something like this to help resolve the State's budget crisis. It shouldn't be too much to ask both of them to consider what's best for the State of California over what's best for their respective party caucuses. But then again, both are career politicans, and unless they break out of their partisan mold, they will put party, not State first!

NostraDemus

NosrtaDemus,

I was giving McCain credit for going after Grover Norquist and Jack Abramoff. I wanted to make sure I included that some critics said he didn't go far enough.

I bring up those three because Norquist is the person behind the pledge not to raise any taxes no matter what that many Republicans signed here in California.

NostraDemus,

Hannah-Beth Jackson is hardly a career politician. She was a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Barbara County who put criminals behind bars. She ran a successful family law practice in Ventura for 22 years, employing as many as 15 people. She then served six years in the Assembly and had a remarkably successful record there of constituent services.

After that, she took a break and concentrated on teaching public policy at UCSB.

Strickland has never held a paying job outside of politics or lobbying. He was also president of the very right-wing California Club for Growth which specializes in picking off moderate Republicans.

Hannah-Beth has strayed from the majority of her party many times, such as when she sided with the bipartisan moderate budget coalition in 2004-05 to vote against a budget based on accounting tricks and debt.

Marie,

Jackson didn't take a break to teach at UCSB. She was termed out of the Assembly and drawn out of the Senate District.

Strickland founded the conservtive group Club for Growth while Jackson founded her group Speak Out California.

The attempts to portray her as a moderate is laughable. Her record is all the proof anyone needs on that one.

They were both termed out and they both formed groups.

Tony Strickland's group frequently goes after moderate Republicans. Do you agree this makes it clear that he is on the right wing of his party?

Marie:

Thanks for rapidly responding with HBJ's talking points on whether she is or is not a career politican. Since you seem so well connected with the HBJ campaign, perhaps you can provide the voters in the 19th State Senate District with similar rapid assistance by providing HBJ's plan to balance the State's budget. Day 75 and I'm still waiting...

NostraDemus

Speak Out California is just a web site. It was not a source of income for her. She was, however, paid for teaching at UCSB.

Strickland, on the other hand, was paid well as the president of the CA Club for Growth.

I know it would be very convenient for you, "Reality," to be able to paint her into a corner, but it just isn't so. She voted for many tax cuts for businesses and families.

I never said she wasn't termed out. But she did take a break from running for office while Strickland attempted his failed controller's run.

I don't think it is accurate to say she was drawn out of the district. The fact is, the redistricting fiasco had nothing to do with Hannah-Beth; she was merely one of three victims of an ill-conceived plan to protect congressional and California legislative incumbents.

State Senate District 18 had been represented by Gary Hart and Jack O'Connell for 16 years; because O'Connell was termed out in 1994, there was no incumbent to protect, so the District was collapsed and moved to the San Joaquin Valley. The intended beneficiary, a friend of former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, upset the apple cart when he decided to run for Congress instead of the State Senate seat designed for him; as a result, a Republican was elected!

Highly-regarded Assemblymembers Fred Keeley and Helen Thompson suffered the same fate as Hannah-Beth and her constituents, who inherited Tom McClintock and thereby lost a representative in the Senate.

Brian, I hope you appreciate that I have been on here providing accurate information and answering your questions as best I can. I see nobody from Strickland's side doing so and I wonder why.

She's running an honest and forthright campaign. I am proud to call her a friend.

Oops, Nostrademus, just saw you there. A lot of what I post comes from my own knowledge, not Hannah-Beth's talking points, so there is no possible way I can give you a detailed budget plan from her.

I can tell you from conversations that I have had with her that she believes in compromise and real reforms. We are both big fans of recently retired Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill, whose independent budget ideas were used by both parties.

The Republicans have only just come up with their own version of the budget, which apparently doesn't add up.

Elizabeth Hill spoke out against budget gimmicks for years and was ignored by both parties. She was critical of both republicans and democrats, and while she received praise from both side for her straight talk neither side took her advise seriously enough to follow it.

The way I see it, both Strickland and Jackson are following the pary line when it comes to the budget. Republicans have insisted on a budget that does not increase taxes, but have not offered a realistic plan that doesn't rely on more borrowing and accounting gimmicks. They also do not provide a long-term solution that brings the budget into balance in future fiscal years. They talk about cutting government spending but offer few specifics on what programs they would actually cut.

Meanwhile, the democrats keep claiming that they want a compromise, balanced approach. But, as usual, their idea of "balanced" involves higher taxes and few cuts. They also fail to provide long-term solutions that align spending with revenues. Their plan is the same tired class warfare approach that goes after the "rich", which only exacerbates the wild swings in state revenues since higher income taxpayers have more volatile income that rise and fall with the economy. They want a "temporary" tax increase, but if history is any guide there is no such thing. The last temporary sales tax increase was after the Oakland earthquake, which was later turned into a permanent tax increase after the budget crisis in the early 1990's. The plan offered by the democrats would give California the highest marginal personal income tax rate of any state and the highest sales tax rate of any state. Not a good recipe for economic growth and job creation.

And what do we hear from the candidates running for SD19? Pretty much the party line on both sides. Strickland wants to hold the line on taxes, but offers no specifics on how he will balance the budget. Jackson wants a "balanced" approach, but offers no specifics on how she will balance the budget.

The only real choice voters have is whether they want to give more control over the state budget to republicans or to democrats. If the democrats crack the 2/3 majority they will have the power to advance legislation that will increase your taxes (and spending). If the republicans hold on to their slim 1/3 + 3 minority they will maintain the stalemate in Sacramento. You have to ask yourself if you would prefer a standoff or single-party control of state government. This ongoing stalemate is pretty bad, but handing over control to a single party might make us yearn for the good old days. Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I don't see the Democrats picking up enough Assembly seats to stage a takeover. On the Senate side, Maldonado, who everyone assumes is the swing vote, doesn't seem to be caving in.

With Hannah-Beth I see a chance to get somebody elected who will work hard for the residents of the district. I know her character and she is someone who is fair and honest and really listens. She represents my values and ethics.

Strickland has way too many negatives for me -- multiple shaky campaign finance investigations, huge donations from tobacco, oil and insurance interests and a history of writing flawed legislation. He doesn't vote for things I value -- public education, children's health and the environment.

I have witnessed the top player in his organization go berserk among a group of protesters in full view of the media. His own ballot designation is a deception. And an IEC formed on his behalf is spreading outright lies about his opponent.

These are all facts. Tom McClintock is an ideologue, but at least I felt he was honest.

I favor the redistricting measure. If it passes, it could make a real difference in future budget talks.